West Highland Way

Hi all - I'm attempting something I've never tried before. I want to walk the West Highland Way. Obviously, I'll have to do it in stages starting this weekend from Milngavie to Balmaha. How long will this take? Has anyone else done the WHW? Do share . . .

Hi Mike,I haven't walked the West Highland Way, I have driven up and down the area many times over the years meeting many hikers, backpackers etc and the recollection I have is that most people who were doing the whole 90-odd miles were aiming to do it in 3, 4 5 or 6 days.We have met so many people along the way there must be hundreds every summer doing the walk (or claiming to!)Some did say that there is a shortage of official camping sites only two or three? I don't think there is any signing in places along the way to check the numbers passing through, maybe you could start that.The weather, as always plays a big part in the distance covered and probably whether or not they finish the hike.Are you thinking of doing it both ways?Looking forward tyo seeing your photos.Best wishes,Bob Flinn

Milngavie to Balmaha should take you circa 8 hours - depending on your fitness level and how often you stop ...or if you stay at the Drovers Inn too long LOL.You can download a PDF from the site which will give you basic routes and miles etc: http://www.west-highland-way.co.uk/mainFrame.htmI am off to Skye so I won't be around to reply to any more posts for circa a week so good luck and hope the rain goes off Cheers, Caz

Go for it. I walked this route in part twenty years ago in my fiftieth year. We stayed at Rowardennan hostel after crossing the Loch and then cut across country to Oban from whence we crossed to Mull, walked across Mull and took the ferry to Iona. This is a suggestion for a focused finish alternative to finishing the WHW. I can't backpack now so my advice is to do as many routes as you can, while you can.

Well, to update, I drove out to Balmaha with a friend on Satuday night so that I could get picked up on the Sunday - only problem was, we got completely lost and ended up on a single track road that took us miles away from anywhere. So, things didn't work exactly as I planned. Instead on Sunday I walked from my house (West End of Glasgow) to Milngavie. I tried to follow the path along the river Kelvin, but the path is quite incomplete and poorly signposted in a lot of places and ended up walking along the A81, which in my mind makes the whole exercise quite pointless.

But, I found the start of the West Highland Way. This in itself was quite funny because I was walking around Milgavie town centre, thinking "I should ask for directions", but, being a guy, couldn't possibly. So I went to a coffee shop, and thought "When the waitress comess, I'll ask" I was sitting outside and just happened to notice a big pillar saying "West Highland Way". So, at least now I know where I need to go to start.

Oh yeah, forgot to say, I walked back from Milngavie along the Allander Walk - it goes along the Allander Water and then along the river Kelvin. As I mentioned, the path is incomplete and poorly sign-posted, and not the best of paths either (at one point, I ended up wading in the river, at another, the path went over a chainlink fence which had been pushed down, then through a hole in the wall etc.) It was a lot longer than walking on the main road too, but really good. I think I did about 14 miles in all.

Dear Boab, I would serously suggest a good set of ordnance survey maps and a printed guide to the WHW. It is not demeaning to search out the local Tourist Office for information. I recall that even trwenty years ago there was one in Milngavie though of course, it was shut. I noticed on a trip round Scotland a couple of years ago that EVERYTHING is shut from the end of August onwards, so be warned everybody. Have you got a list of all the offivial Youth Hostels and the private network, which is now considerable?